[you fit into me]

Due to the concise construction of “[you fit into me],” Atwood explores one major theme throughout the course of the poem. At its core, “[you fit into me]” is a poem about the duality of love and violence. Atwood exposes the horror that lurks beyond the rose-colored glasses of first love, easing readers into the poem with a celebration of unity and partnership that quickly turns sinister. Romantic love is compared to passion and pain. Atwood reflects on the complex reality of domestic abuse and the violence many individuals face at the hands of their partner within contemporary society.

The description of the hook and eye can be interpreted in a variety of ways by the contemporary reader. The curved hook and open eye can be read as a phallic and vaginal symbol respectively, critiquing unfair, patriarchal power structures wherein men wield more power than their female counterparts. However, the power of the hook-and-eye image lies in the fact that the hook is dangerous and the eye is vulnerable. This reading offers a broader critique of distorted power dynamics in any relationship, be it between two men, two women, trans, nonbinary, or otherwise gender nonconforming individuals.